Despite the back surgery, Foster says he expects to be back to normal this year.

“I can tell you the surgery wasn’t as major as it sounded,” Foster told BleacherReport.com’s Mike Freeman. “That’s why I rebounded so quickly. I also worked my [expletive] off. I’m expecting to do bigger things and bounce back.”

Foster and the rest of the Texans’ offensive players are in for a change this year, though.

Gary Kubiak and his vaunted offense are gone. Enter new head coach Bill O’Brien.

O’Brien’s offense and its blocking schemes are different than the ones Foster is accustomed to. The blocking schemes probably won’t be built primarily off the zone stretch, where Foster could run laterally to the offensive line, show his patience and then burst through the hole when it appeared.

Usually, O’Brien’s teams have used man-blocking principles, which would force Foster to get downhill and hit the hole much more quickly.

Foster’s workload will depend on how healthy he can remain, and how successfully recent acquisition Andre Brown integrates into the offense.

At some point during the upcoming season, the Texans will likely start a rookie quarterback — possibly one selected with the first-overall pick of May’s draft. A healthy, effective Foster could carry the offense and give the young signal-caller time to adjust to the next level.